Revisited (Redemption Series) (28 page)

“He’s Lior?” Nathaniel shook his head as he tried to bring together the pieces in his mind. He had heard stories of the Romanian brother, but hadn’t even realized Ore was a vampire until Valentina stated the fact to Debir.

“Anton’s brother?” Ryan asked, coming to stand behind his wife.

The man known to some as Ore, but who had carried the shame of what he had done as Lior for decades spoke. “All true.”

“Why now?” Lily whispered.

“I’ve been working with Eli for years. The last time you saw me, I was getting ready to head into a double agent role deep within the SS. That was where I came upon my brother, Iosif.”

Lily had heard many stories of the eldest brother, many from Lior’s own lips. Iosif was the force that drove Lior to change. His brother sickened him. Lily could only imagine the horror Iosif had laid down on the masses as part of Adolf Hitler’s elite force.

“Iosif had just begun using several members of a concentration camp outside of Berlin for his own experiments. He was doing many of the same things I just discovered Filipp had been attempting to do.”

The realization of what Iosif had done spread over Lily like wildfire. “The Nazi’s were making a vampire army.”

“Yes.” Lior’s face darkened as the memories of the atrocities he had committed came to mind. “It was the one instance where their sick gas chambers were put to good use as all the vampires were destroyed.”

Nathaniel collapsed back against the wall as all the information about the man he despised for years came to light. He looked up to find Lior hovering above him. Lior sent visions directly into Nathaniel’s mind, and the images flickered peacefully through him.

Iosif collected his own venom and placed it in vials ready for injections. Endless rows of human lab rats stood at the ready in front of their commanders. SS men injected vials of murky liquid into their captives, turning them into mindless vampires. After a fierce battle, Lior and a few other men cornered the vampires and led them into a gas chamber, ending their existence. Iosif raged when the last body dropped. Lior approached from behind and ripped his brother’s head clean off his shoulders. Men, women, and children were evacuated before the entire camp was set ablaze.

Nathaniel came out of the vision in a daze. His eyesight cleared when he looked upon Lior in a new light.

“I saw it.” Nathaniel swallowed at the dryness of his throat. “I saw it all. You killed them all and your brother. You probably saved millions.”

“Possibly.” Lior nodded. “But I knew I couldn’t live in the light anymore. I was all that was left and what I am is much too powerful to be left uncontrolled.”

“I don’t understand.” Nathaniel made it back up on his feet. “The witchcraft?”

Lior laughed humorlessly. “That is another story.” He looked over the room to see everyone waiting for him to continue.

“I came from a harsh, destitute land. My brothers and I stole just to survive. Our mother dabbled in black magic and began to have a little success. When Iosif turned fourteen, he developed powers none of us understood. Then Anton picked them up as well, as did our brother, Radu. I was the last. Within two years, we were the most powerful and wealthy family in the area. We ruled over all the peasants and our powers grew. All four of us were devoted to our mother’s wishes. She was at the helm of our family and we never hesitated to carry out whatever she asked of us. Once we reached adulthood, we became bored in our roles and began to widen our reign of terror. 

“That is when God and his agents tried to strike us down the first time. They brought a plague upon our doorstep and it reached our mother first. The illness spread quickly and in effort to halt it, Iosif called upon the dark forces for a cure. That cure turned into this vampire curse. We would never starve as long as humans or animals roamed the earth. We would never age or die. We would be stronger, faster, and smarter than any that would stand against us. As a group, we all agreed it was the only way to save us. It rescued the four of us, but our mother did not share the same fate. I thank God every day
He
took her when
He
did.”

The room was deadly silent as each let the story settle inside their own minds.

“You retained your black magic even after you became vampires?” Lily asked as Ryan placed his hands on her shoulders.

“Yes.” Lior looked over at Valentina and held his hand out to her. “Your child is part of us, but I swear he will not share the same fate. He is a new beginning. A new family to pick the path I should have all those years ago.”

Valentina nodded as the tears ran down her face. They were finally leaving the darkness and would welcome in all the light the new life inside her would bring to the world.

Gideon woke to discover he was in complete darkness. He felt across the dirt-covered ground until his fingertips met stone. He crawled up the wall to get to his feet and walked along as he looked for an escape. When none came and another wall blocked his path, he somehow knew to punch at the stone. Remarkably, the wall crumbled and he was soon in a brightly lit hallway. At the end of it, he saw his salvation in the form of an elevator. He took it upward and was relieved when he came to the main floor of the castle.

The risk of a flashlight was too great, so Gideon crept through the darkness. He reached the front door and ran out onto the lawn. He noticed at once the charred olive grove at the bottom of the hill. It was breathtaking. 

Beautiful, isn’t it?

The voice inside his head sounded eerily familiar. “It can’t be,” Gideon said aloud.

Oh, yes it can
, the voice echoed.

A grin spread wide across Gideon’s face as he took off in an agile run. He made it to a slow moving stream a mile away in less than a minute. A calm pool in the water reflected the appearance of his new vessel. The jet-black hair and matching eyes was a change, but one he welcomed. “Filipp.”

Our mission is far from complete, but for now, we need to eat. I know exactly where we can find our meal
. Filipp’s laughter was quite contagious as Gideon moved through the trees and went off to quench his newfound thirst with the blood of Filipp’s army who had scattered in the neighboring woods.

It’s yours.” The little man with gray hair growing from both his ears stated, as he handed her the documents.

    “You can’t be serious,” Lily uttered in complete shock.

The lawyer stacked the papers in front of him and placed his hands on top, looking directly into her eyes. “Erik’s last wishes were very clear. In the event of his death, his estate was to be transferred to Renee. Then in the event of her death, it would be transferred to you. Since Renee had no official documents as to what she wanted to do in case of her death, the court has decided it all reverts to you.”

Lily shook her head. She had hardly accepted the fact that Renee was dead. Now both Renee and Erik’s estates were hers. “What about her mother?”

The old man tsked in dismay. “When she heard the news, she collapsed and had to be hospitalized. Her sister called and said they were overcome with grief and wouldn’t be able to travel. Renee’s mother wished her daughter to be buried next to Erik. Her mother requested you contact her to send her some of Renee’s personal belongings.”

“Of course.”

The lawyer slid the information across his desk to Lily. “I will see you at the funeral.”

Lily nodded and thanked him for his service. She walked out of the office in a complete daze and looked down the block to where the bar stood. Walking the hundred yards it took to get to the business she now owned felt like thousands as she tried to process what had happened.

The bell above the door rang as Lily entered. Ryan stood behind the bar and organized the glasses. She pulled up a stool and watched him pour a tall glass of whiskey.

“Is it a four finger day?” Ryan asked before pouring an equally tall glass for himself.

“You could say that.” Lily looked at the bottle as he set it down beside them. “You know, Erik gave me a bottle of whiskey for my birthday. God, that seems like years ago.” The whiskey went down strong and smooth in just a few swallows.

“He was a good man who raised a wonderful daughter.” Ryan clinked glasses with her before drinking his own.

“A daughter who is dead because of me.”

He slammed his glass down on the bar, and the remaining whiskey sloshed over the lip of the glass. “What happened to Renee was a tragic accident.”

“But if she hadn’t followed us, she—”

“But nothing,” he interrupted. “She loved you and was thrilled to have a chance at adventure. The trips to Rome, Reading, and Italy were the highlights of her life. Don’t forget she met Jefferson and even if it was just for a short time, he made her so happy.”

Lily nodded in agreement, but it didn’t lessen her guilt. Jefferson’s account of Renee’s death had been horrific to hear, but she was sure it was much worse for him. He was trapped in his own body as Gideon killed her. “Jefferson did make her happy and we are going to celebrate that. Celebrate her.”

“Yes, we will.” Ryan smiled as he leaned over and kissed her. “All the arrangements made?”

Lily had spent the afternoon finalizing the funeral details before she went to meet with the lawyer about the estate. “Yes, but I was called to the lawyer’s. He had this for me.” She pulled the paperwork from her purse and passed it to Ryan.

Ryan read the documents. He showed no confusion or worry on his features as he looked over each word. “So, you own a bar now?”

“Guess so.” Lily sighed before pouring them both more whiskey.

“We can stay. Run the bar and leave the rest of the world to its own devices.”

“You’re sweet.” She knew he meant well, but she was positive it wasn’t something they could realistically accomplish. “Maybe for a while, but not forever.”

“Where would you like to go then?” Ryan walked around the bar and sat on the stool next to her.

“I don’t know. We still have Filipp to find. By some miracle, Becca’s dealing well with Abe and Ian being in the same body. Then there’s Valentina and Liam’s baby. Lior assures me the child will be protected, but I can’t help but want to do it myself.” She turned and looked at him. “I’m taking suggestions.”

“If it were up to me, I’d say let’s go back to Leatherby Manor or to Boston.” He took another sip of whiskey. “Or if we want to be completely protected, there’s always the Archer Estate.”

The idea of staying at Nathaniel’s home gave Lily a sense of peace. She knew how often its barriers had been tested and how each time they’d held steadfast. “That might be one of the best ideas you’ve ever had.” She snaked her arm around his back as she laid her head on his shoulder.

“Marrying you was certainly the best one, my sweet.” Ryan turned and kissed the top of her head.

“I’ll drink to that.” They clinked their glasses once more as they pondered what the future had in store for them.

Ouch! Not so close!
Ian shouted as he stood in front of the mirror.

Abe had control of Ian’s body and was attempting to shave his face. “I’m getting us ready. We agreed I would accompany Becca to the funeral, did we not?” Abe raised an eyebrow as he stroked his cheek with the razor.